A 3-year-old died after her 16-year-old sister used a pillow to “quiet her down,” Florida officials said.
Now, the older girl faces a manslaughter charge, according to the Altamonte Springs Police Department.
Officers said the 16-year-old was responsible for watching the younger girl while their mom worked remotely from the Orlando area on Friday, July 15. The mother reportedly had told the teen to “keep her sister quiet” while she was on the phone.
The 3-year-old was quiet for about 10 minutes before the mom discovered she was unresponsive, police said in an arrest report.
The child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Preliminary information shows the teen “placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down,” and there was enough probable cause to arrest her, officials wrote in a July 18 news release.
“It’s very tragic, it’s a 3-year-old, a very young, young child,” Officer Michelle Montalvo said, according to WESH. “Sixteen-year-old is also young. A mother loses both daughters in one night because the 16-year-old was arrested that night.”
Officers responded at about 6 p.m. to a report of a child not breathing at the MainStay Suites in Altamonte Springs, roughly 10 miles north of Orlando. The girls’ mom had been working from a bedroom in the extended stay hotel while her daughters were in the living room.
An investigation continues, and anyone with information is urged to contact police at 407-339-2441 or call 911.
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